Chapter XI

Athos admitted to Aramis in a letter that he was enjoying his life with Marie and her children. He did miss being with the musketeers but it felt like this was the life he wanted to have. If his wife was dead, he would have married Marie in a heartbeat. It had been two months since she had been reunited with her children. She had grown larger and very close to giving birth. She and Athos had been acting like a married couple ever since the children were brought back into Marie's life. He had made a crib for their child, he was teaching Louis how to use a sword, and he was a father figure to young Anne, who no longer had a father.

Their lives were turned upside down on a cold winter's night. Marie was woken up by Athos shaking her. "Marie! Get up! The house is on fire!" She couldn't be woken. Smoke had already filled the bedroom before he had reached her. "Marie!" He lifted her from the bed, coughing as the smoke filled his lungs. Aramis, Porthos and d'Artagnan had arrived the week before, thankfully. They had gotten the children out and were attempting to put out the fire. But it was no good. He was to lose his house. He escaped with his lover in his arms, who was still unconscious. He met the others on the grasslands in front of the château.

"Who did this?" Aramis asked as he held Marie's daughter in his arms. "Is she all right?"

"No." He gently placed Marie on the grass. "Marie? Marie?"

Aramis handed the small girl to d'Artagnan and he knelt next to Marie. "Marie?" He put his ear to her mouth. "She's breathing. She's just unconscious."

Gunshots were fired nearby. "Get them into the trees!" Shouted Aramis as he withdrew his pistol. Athos lifted Marie. He spotted the one person he did not want to see. His wife. She did this. He took his lover into the trees, following Porthos and d'Artagnan, who had the children in their arms. Aramis followed them, waiting to shoot at the attackers. "We need to move."

"Athos..." groaned Marie, who was awakening. "What?"

"The château is on fire." He helped her to sit up. "Come on. Someone is attacking us. We need to get moving." Athos helped her onto her feet.

"I can't." She whispered, grasping his arms.

Athos shook his head. "We have to go." Pulling her gently, attempting to get her to move.

"I can't, Athos." Biting her lower lip as he wrapped his arm around her back. "The baby is coming."

"What?" His eyes bulging in shock. "What?" He had no idea what to do.

Aramis was at their side. "We need to move. Get as far as we can." He wrapped his arm around her back too. The two men were able to help her walk. Snow had begun to fall as they reached the village, which was not too far from the château.

"We can't stay here." Porthos whispered, as he and Athos watched the village from the outskirts. "It's too close."

People in the village were shouting. "The de la Fere place is on fire!" The shouts were drowned out by more gunshots.

"WHERE IS THE COMTE DE LA FERE?" A male voice shouted. None of the villagers answered but the man continued. "COMTE DE LA FERE! Monsieur Athos, come on out! Bring the Madame de Chevreuse with you! We have been asked to fetch her!"

Porthos and Athos watched the scene in front of them. "Who would want her?" Porthos asked. "Her husband is dead." They looked behind them. Aramis was tending to Marie, who was groaning in pain on the ground. "We need to get somewhere warm and fast." They turned their attention back to the man, who had shouted. He was turning his horse around and heading back towards Athos' château.

"I know where we can go. Do you remember Paul Meunier? We could pay him to hide us all." Athos suggested as they moved away from their watching spot.

Porthos nodded. "It's our best chance." They moved to the others and spoke of the plan. Aramis agreed to it, saying Marie had enough time to reach there.

-XI-

Thankfully, Paul allowed them to hide in his home and would protect them if the time came. Porthos had to carry Marie as he was the only one strong enough to carry her far and quickly. He laid her on a small cot as Aramis quickly moved to her side. "Right, let's see what's happening. I need lots of hot water and blankets." He ordered Porthos as he helped Marie to take off her dress, which was damn as her waters had broken when they were travelling to this place. "Are you all right?"

"Where are the children?" She gasped as she gasped for breath. She lay on the small cot in her shift.

"With d'Artagnan." Aramis reassured her and held her hand.

She took deep breaths before she spoke again. "Where's Athos?"

"He's on guard." Holding her hand tightly. "Breathe," he said as she suffered a contraction. "That's it. Breathe."

Marie took deep breaths as the contraction faded. "Who is after us?"

"We don't know. They want you. Probably one of your husband's allies. Thinking they can gain from your capture." He gave her a smile as a woman brought them pillows, to put behind Marie. Another woman brought a bowl of cold water and a cloth. The woman dipped it in the cold water and placed the cloth on Marie's forehead. "We'll be safe here. Monsieur Meunier has offered us protection." He nodded to the woman, who left them alone.

Porthos returned with the blankets and hot water. He gestured Aramis to move away from Marie. He whispered in Aramis' ear, "they've found us. Athos is outside the door and I will stay with d'Artagnan."

"What's happening?" Marie asked in a panic, when she saw their worried faces. "Aramis?"

Aramis saw no point in lying to her, she would discover the truth one way of another. "They're here."

"The children!" She gasped. "They need to be..." She was cut off by shots.

"No." Aramis shook his head. "Porthos and d'Artagnan have them. They will protect them until the end. They will not let anything happen to them." He returned to her side as soon as Porthos rushed from the room. "Athos is staying guard on the door. No one will get to you." He held her hand as a contraction hit her. He reached for another cloth. "Bite down," hovering it over her mouth. She quickly bit the cloth and let out a low groan, which would have been a loud cry if she did not have the cloth.

They could hear the fighting getting closer. Aramis could see the worry in her eyes. She was worrying about so much. Mainly about her children but also for Athos and their friends. This birth was not worrying her at all. The shots drew closer. The ring of swords filled the growing morning. Marie gripped the rough bedding as she was pained with another contraction. She heard a gunshot. Someone fell against the door and she thought the worst. Another shot was fired. "Athos!" She had pulled the cloth from her mouth and screamed his name. Both she and Aramis stared at the door. They feared for his life. "Please go and see!" She begged Aramis. "Please see if he is all right!"

Aramis looked down at her with concern. She was in the middle of giving birth and all she was worried about was Athos. "Fine." He nodded and lifted his pistol, which he had kept next to him since the attacks began. Cautiously, he opened the door and two bodies fell into the room. One was Athos and another was an unknown man. "Athos!" Aramis pushed the other man off and dragged Athos into the room. He was alive. Aramis grabbed a rag and pressed it on Athos' wound, which was only a shallow wound. Nothing fatal. He quickly pushed the other man out of the room and barricaded the door.

"ARGH!" Cried Marie as she felt another contraction. "I need to push!"

Aramis looked up from Athos, who was now leaning against the wall. "Go to her. She needs you." Athos pushed his friend towards the crying woman. "Go!" He shouted at her and gave a groan as he moved, his wound complaining.

Aramis rushed to Marie and helped her to part her legs. "Not long now, Marie. I can see the head. A head of hair!" She laughed and stopped to cry out. "Push!" He urged her. Athos watched in annoyance. He couldn't be at her side. She looked so lonely. There was no midwife, no nurse, no physician. Only Aramis to help her. He gritted his teeth as he pressed the cloth against his wound, stemming the bleeding. He watched as she brought their son or daughter into the world. A few pushes and the child was born. Aramis cut the cord but no cry came from the child.

"Aramis?" Whispered Marie as she looked down at him, fear filled her even more. "Why isn't the baby crying?" She watched as he grabbed a clean towel and wrapped it around the baby. She couldn't see much as he bent down from her view. "Aramis?" She sobbed. "Athos." Her eyes flickering over to him. He too was watching Aramis with fear. From where he was, he could see what Aramis was doing. He was withdrawing mucus from the baby and then breathing into the baby.

-XI-

A/N: Cliff hanger! Sorry! What do you think? Let me know!